I still dream about that time in my dreams.
　When I was 17 years old...I was known as a sage when I used a sword or a wise man when I used magic. I was sure I would become the youngest S-ranked adventurer in history.
　That arrogance took its toll.

　Even though I had formed a party of adventurers, when my friends couldn't leave, I went on a mission to kill the wyvern alone.
　I thought I was enough on my own.

　I was able to take down the wyvern, but the battle dragged on so long that I woke up an ancient dragon deep inside the volcano.
　After a full day of deadly combat, the Ancient Dragon has been shot out and the village at its base has been burned to the ground.
　The village, once lush and green, is reduced to nothing more than a black mass.

　Wreckage of houses and corpses are sacrificed to the flames. The scent of the dead made my nose ache. Everything was overrun and the scene was like hell.
　You are overcome by your own helplessness and slump into the scene. As I was almost swallowed by despair, a faint cry mingled with the roaring flames reached my ears.
　I cleared the pile of rubble and found three babies huddled together in the gap, sobbing.

　Oh, thank God. That they were alive.
　I'll hold them to my breast like a thread of hope hanging down in hell.
　These girls are the only ones I want to protect.

　And that's when.

　A large shadow fell over me.
　I turned to find Ancient Dragons sitting where I thought they'd gone.

They were the ones who should never have been born.

　A raspy, croaky tone of voice that makes the listener uncomfortable.

"Sooner or later, you will know. "they will never know that they will live in this world "as long as they continue to live in this world.

　That's when he was done saying that. I knew something was wrong.
　The three babies I was holding to my chest. They had been whimpering frantically earlier and now they were as quiet as water.
　I looked down at my chest in anxiety and saw that the pale pink skin was charred and all three of them had turned into silent wrecks.
　The three vacant eye sockets stared at me all at once. Their eyes, concentrated in darkness, seemed to blame me for my helplessness.
　They said in a tone filled with resentment.

If you weren't here, we wouldn't be like this. If it weren't for my dad, we wouldn't be like this. ......
'Ohhhhhh!

　★

When I jumped up screaming, it wasn't a hellish village . The morning sunlight streaming in through the window was pouring down on my mattress.
　A savory smell, nothing like the smell of death, fills your nostrils.
　I saw my second daughter, Anna, standing in the kitchen with her chestnut-colored pigtails hanging from her shoulder. She is stirring the contents of the pot with a ladle in her hand.

Hey, Daddy. Daddy, you're awake.

　Anna, dressed in her apron, turned around, looked at me and said .

'Anna......'
That's unusual. Dad never sleeps in.

　When I looked at the clock on the wall, I saw that it was already seven o'clock.
　Normally, even on a holiday, I would be awake at that time. If it was a weekday, even more so. I guess I missed a lot of time.

I'm sorry. I made you breakfast.
My dad makes it for me all the time. Sometimes it's okay.

　Anna said and sipped the soup in a ladle. He nodded with a satisfied expression on his face and said it was delicious.

Father. Are you okay?　I'm afraid you've had a lot of nightmares.

　At my bedside was my eldest daughter, Elsa, looking at me with a worried look on her face. She is the Knight Commander of this royal capital and is already dressed in her white and silver armor.
　She must have finished her morning workout and took a shower. Her hair smells like shampoo. My sinking mood has lightened a bit.

"Yeah. Yeah. I was having a bad dream.
Is it a bad dream?
It's an old memory.
I think he was tired. Father hasn't been working very hard lately.
An instructor of the Order and an adventurer, a part-time teacher at a magic school and a tutor to a princess. No wonder he's so upset when he has to juggle four jobs.

　Anna chuckles.

'You need to take a break and relax once in a while, okay?
I muttered, "I thought I was still young, but I guess I'm just getting old.

　When I said that, I felt the weight of the years wash over me all at once.

Speaking of which, where's Meryl?　You don't look like you're in sight. Did you go to the academy first?


'I hope so,' said Anna, cowering her shoulders in disgust. 'I hope so,' said Anna, shrugging her shoulders in disgust, 'because if Daddy oversleeps, she's even further down the line.
Father. Meryl's hiding in your father's bed.

　The destination of Elsa's pointing fingers - I rolled up the futon I was sleeping under, and there was a stark naked figure of Meryl, curled up in a ball, breathing peacefully.
　Her body was smooth and spotless. The pajamas that had been removed were beside it.

"...... Meryl. Why are you naked?
It's so much better for me to sleep in my bed. And it's hot.
.......... She's a girl of her age. You need to be more careful, don't you?　I fear for Merrill's future.
You'll be fine. I'll be with you in the future, Dad.
That's what I'm trying to tell you. You can't stay a parent forever. You're gonna have to be on your own someday, okay?
Then why don't you marry me? Then you'll be a husband and wife, not a parent and child, and you'll be safe!
'No, it's much worse to marry a father and son!
I said "no problem". Me and my dad aren't even related by blood. It doesn't matter if we get married. It doesn't matter if we have kids!
............

　So--.
　Me and my three daughters are not blood relatives. Step-children.
　I've been hiding it from them for so long that they might be shocked to learn, and now I'm finally telling them. Meryl seemed to see the lack of blood relation as an opportunity.

''Yes, yes. Don't be silly. Breakfast is ready, so get up now. Are you going to be late for Magical Academy if you don't?

　Anna urged Meryl as she put her hands on her hips.

'And get dressed quickly.
Hi. ......

　Meryl woke up reluctantly.
　We sat around the same table and ate the breakfast Anna had made for us. I clasped my hands together and thanked her before I sipped.

"Well?
"Yeah. Yum. Anna, you've improved a lot.
"Hmm. Thanks. I'm not ready for you yet.
Anna. Can I get a refill, please?
"Yes. There's more to come. Feel free to eat. Especially Elsa. You're supposed to be working with your body.
Thank you.
Hey. Daddy. Ding dong, dong dong... dong...
Hey, hey. It's all right. ......
You have a soft spot for Meryl. You have a soft spot for Meryl.
Heh. I don't have a choice. Daddy loves me very much. I love you a lot, too, Dad, but...
...... Mmmm. I'll have to learn from Meryl's pampering skills . But such a soft imitation is ......
"I love Meryl," he said. 'I love Elsa and Anna just as much as you do,'
What?　You scared the life out of me. You scared the crap out of me.
You have to say your thoughts out loud, don't you?

　Mornings with my daughters were a blessing in disguise.
　That's why I must guard this happiness. I'll take a risk and kill the danger that's about to befall them.


　I was thinking about that as I ate Anna's homemade food.